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Analysis essay on journey of the magi
Literary analysis the magi
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“The Journey of the Magi” by Thomas Sterns Eliot and ‘A Found Poem’ by Seamus Heaney are both poems that explore the overarching notion of belief and struggle. Eliot’s poem pursues the expedition that the Magi experienced through the description of their hardships, skepticism and physical battle against the elements. On the other hand, Heaney’s poem depicts the internal struggle that the poet himself experienced and the yearn for a religious identity. Both poets employ numerous techniques to narrate their stories, ideas and themes.
Eliot’s poem, ‘The Journey of the Magi’ is a narration of the magi’s journey to spectate the nativity of Jesus Christ. This poem accompanies the journey that the magi experienced, from the perspective of one of
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The concept of struggle is portrayed in numerous aspects throughout both poems. In the “Journey of the Magi”, the magi experience a physical battle against the elements. “ A cold coming we had of it, Just the worst time of the year, For a journey and such a long journey.” The use of alliteration and a superlative places emphasis on the physical hardship the magi battled. From biblical tales and texts the magi had housed in desert areas, hence the main reason for physical struggle - the cold weather they experienced were unaccustomed. In Heaney’s poem the struggle that juxtaposes with the one in Eliot’s is the interior battle Heaney experiences. In Heaney’s poem the struggle portrayed occurs internally with himself concerning his religious identity. The interpolation used in stanza 1, line 4 “‘ (whatever it means)” provides the readers with an insight into his mental battle. Though he respects the traditions, he has lost his faith in them and he is struggling with the loss of faith. In this poem the internal battle reveals to the audience his spirituality and belief. From this poem we can see the mental battle of confusion which he overcomes. Though the themes of struggle is mirrored in both poems the experience of struggle varies. Eliot proposes a physical battle against the elements unlike Heaney who presents an internal
Eliot found himself opening up again both to love and to the divine. Out of this
Form often follows function in poetry, and in this case, Eliot uses this notion whe...
Heaney, Seamus. "Opened Ground, Selected Poems 1966-1996." Follower. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1998. 10.
The editors of anthologies containing T. S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" invariably footnote the reference to Lazarus as John 11:1-44; rarely is the reference footnoted as Luke 16:19-31. Also, the reference to John the Baptist is invariably footnoted as Matthew 14:3-11; never have I seen the reference footnoted as an allusion to Oscar Wilde's Salome. The sources that one cites can profoundly affect interpretations of the poem. I believe that a correct reading of Eliot's "Prufrock" requires that one cite Wilde, in addition to Matthew, and Luke, in addition to John, as the sources for the John the Baptist and Lazarus being referenced. Furthermore, the citation of these sources can help explain Eliot's allusion to Dante's Guido da Montefeltro.
Ramazani, Jahan. Richard Ellmann, Robert O’Clair, ed. The Norton Anthology Of Modern And Contemporary Poetry. Vol 1 Modern Poetry. Third Edition. Norton. 2003.
Ramazani, Jahan, Richard Ellmann, and Robert O 'Clair. The Norton Anthology of Modern and Contemporary Poetry. New York: W.W. Norton, 2003. Print.
“Gift of the Magi” is a short story about a man and a woman who care deeply for each other. Around Christmas, each person wanted to get the other an extravagant present for their prized possession. The
When discussing the different aspects of New Criticism in Dylan Thomas’s poem “Do Not Go Gentle into The Good Night”, the impression that comes to mind is death. The use of imagery was a necessity for Dylan Thomas to express the different techniques of writing which involved a mixture of surrealistic and metaphysical tones. His ability to change a words meaning to incorporate symbolism is noticeable in circle of unity from life to death and renewed life.
The “Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry is a short story that has an interesting theme.
In order to understand T.S. Eliot’s poem, Choruses from “The Rock,” one must first understand Eliot’s views on contemporary theology and spirituality. He felt as if people were moving away from the Church and were losing their religion in favor of more secular worship. The following passage from Eliot’s poem can summarize his entire argument that he makes in Choruses from “The Rock”.
Because both Christian and Anglo-Saxon heroic elements exist in "The Wanderer," there is cause for analysis of the structural and textual unity of the poem. Initially, it might appear that these elements are introduced to contrast one another in an attempt to show inconsistency by contrasting secular and religious passages in order to show incoherence between the two as guiding principles. But further textual analysis shows that these inconsistencies do not exist. The purpose of positioning the two side by side is to illustrate a contrast in theme between the passing of this world and the changelessness and security of the heavenly kingdom.
The role of divine beings in all three poems can hardly be overestimated. What separates these poems from later Christian literature is the fact the Gods actively participate in people’s affairs and there is no judgment found on them…
This Christmas poem is about the Epiphany and was created the very year of Eliot’s conversion to Christianity (Fleisner, 66). Therefore the theme of religion is an important one if we are to analyse the poem correctly. In the book of Ephesians in the Bible, Paul describes the rebirth of the world upon Christ’s death, emphasising the Ephesians’ new life (2:4-5). This theme of death and rebirth is present in the poem Journey of the Magi, which, I will argue, is structurally and internally divided into three stages; corresponding to the Sacrament of Penance: contrition (guilt), confession and satisfaction.
The two roads presented in this poem represent difficult decisions we are faced with in life. He uses the relationship between the paths and real life decisions throughout the whole poem. This is an example of extended metaphor, which is used to help the readers understand the analogy between the two. The man in the poem said: “long I stood” (3), which lets us know the decision was not made instantly. It was hard for the man to make a final judgment.
George Herbert’s struggle to be humble enough to fully accept God’s undying love can be located within each of his poems. The way in which Herbert conveys this conflict is by utilizing structure as well as metaphysical techniques. This combination of literary devices creates a physical reality that allows Herbert, or the poetic speaker, to “make his feelings immediately present” (245). These devices, at first, appear to be artificial and contradictory to the poet’s goal of making God’s word visible. Instead, literary techniques, for Herbert, help to emphasize how God controls everything from daily life to literature. Therefore, Herbert believes he is not the sole author of his writing; rather, he is an instrument of God chosen to write down poetry praising Him. Herbert battles with this idea as he must refuse the pride that comes with being the author of such beautiful devotional and metaphysical poetry. If Herbert were to give into this “temptation of success” (243), he would be giving himself up to sin and thus rejecting God’s love. This process of rejecting and accepting, or of “conflict and resolution” (243), is done throughout “The Temple,” which leads Herbert to an ultimate acceptance of God and to an “achieved character of humility, tenderness, moral sensitiveness” (249).